The Kenneth Salon : A Billy Baldwin Blowout

An artists rendering of Kenneth's Salon.
Exotic elegance.

Being a guy, my Salon experiences have been limited to waiting in the lobby of Marcia's Country Lady (the Salon my Mom went to) when I was 8 and doing my homework.  It was papered in a blue and white stripe with little flower garlands, the sofas were a matching Federal blue, and the occassional tables were oak with cabriole legs and leaded glass insets in the top.  There were prints of country cottages, Battenburg valances, and the receptionist operated out of an oak roll top desk.   It was very comfortable and homey, not especially striking or overwhelmingly dramatic, but it was memorable.  If anything, Salons have become all but anonymous today, with slick, severe, minimalist interiors and a concern for turn over rather than comfort or even glamour.  While they may provide a great cut or color, many leave something to be desired when it comes to high style.



An artist rendering of the Manicure and Hairdryer stations.
Campaigne stools!  Leopard covered Rattan!  Turkish footstools!
The chandelier and tented ceiling and walls, a Baldwin hallmark,
caps off the decadent fantasy.


Imagine, if you will, the smile that bloomed across my face when in my readings I happened upon the Kenneth Salon in New York, which was decorated by the incomprable Billy Baldwin; decorator to Babe Paley, Jackie O., and Diana Vreeland, to name a few.  Kenneth, hair dresser to Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe ( you can bet the bookings were carefully monitored there) opened his own salon in 1963 in a townhouse on 54th Street that was previously owned by the Vanderbilts, after winning the Coty award for his work in the industry.

Parquet flooring, an opulent tufted velvet pouf, bamboo chairs & vanities,
tasseled cornices, trellis papered walls and ceiling and some very modern
drum pendants creates an exotic oasis in the city.

Baldwin created a stunning Salon inspired by Brighton Pavillion, a Regency era confection.  Striped awnings, wrought iron doors, exotic furnishings, exuberant color, and pattern upon pattern filled the space.  To the devoted Kenneth clientele, this must have appeared as a temple of beauty, somewhere to spend an afternoon being pampered with your closest friends, somewhere you'd never want to leave.  Salons today should take note, and then call a Decorator.  Hint.  Hint.

- Ian 



Great Design is in the details.  Here we see the combinations
of patterns withBamboo trellis paper contrasting in scale and mood
with a scattered floral garland paper.  The vanities are also a masterpiece
of design done in ivory and orange lacquer with coordinating orange mirrors.
The buffet lamps in a Palm tree style are just plain elegant.



The building Kenneth occupied was Renaissance Revival, and it's
Calssical details are seen in this vestibule.  Roman arches, Corinthian Coumnls, etc.
I am in love with the opulence of those chairs.  Nestled up to the dome dryers,
they are infinitely more elegant than the typical Naugahyde chairs.  How could a person,
whether staff member or client, not feel like a million bucks in this interior?
Beautiful spaces really do shape our mood and mindset.

A sconce from the Salon.  How incredibly elegant!  I love the way the
Rococo arms compliment the curves in the Paisley wallpaper.
Baldwin was a huge advocate of wallpaper; Baldwin and his close friend Woodson Taulbee,
founded Woodson Wallpapers when Baldwin was dissatisfied with the papers
he was seeing in the market. 

Jumping on the Wallpaper Bandwagon

Ian's Vivienne Westwood wallpaper post really got my juices flowing this morning. Wallpaper is my drug of choice -as is tile but let's do this one finish at a time, shall we? This isn't the Studio 54 of the design world...but I'm sure it could be given Ian's couture wardrobe. (Fellas: it's to die for...) Moving on. Ian alluded to the fact that the VW wallpaper line was an anomaly in the design world; a walk on the wild side from the ho-hum offerings of today. But I disagree. I feel that wallpaper today offers far more choices and reaches a much broader group of people than ever before. There's something for everyone now. And as the ubiquitous saying goes: this is not your grandmother's wallpaper.


But in spite of all the options, I often get the sense that wallpaper for some people is like getting a tattoo: the commitment is simply too big. But that doesn't have to be the case. Get your feet wet with a powder room. This is where wallpaper can make a huge impact without breaking the bank. The small size of this type of space also allows for one to make a bold statement without being overpowering or off-putting.  My friend Risa -architect and designer from Portland, OR, installed this lovely Madison & Grow wallpaper called Michelle in "Smoked Bluefish Pate" in her powder room. And when I say installed I mean she did herself. Nicely done girlfriend! (See more of Risa's beautiful design sense and architecture on her website: http://www.risaboyer.com/ 

Now I'm not advocating that one turns their house into the Kat VonDee of the neighborhood but a wall here and there or a small room would be a great way to have a little fun. And besides, this stuff is way easier to take off than laser surgery.  So whip out your glue and brushes and take a chance. There's something for everyone.

-Catherine

Here's a little peak of the possibilities:

"Flamenco" by Neisha Crosland

"Nevermore" by Palacepapers

"Aarni" by Marimeko

"Peridot At Night" by Madison & Grow

"Hexagono" by Tres Tintas

"Bramble" by Catherine Hammerton (yes, it's 3D, isn't everything these days?)

Anglomania - Vivienne Westwood Wallcoverings

'Dresses' and hats made of Westwood's wall coverings.
Union Jack, Cut-out Lace, Squiggle.

I know I'm a little late getting to this, but I am so excited I'm going to write about it anyway.  I was at Lee Jofa sourcing wall paper for a job and was stopped in my tracks by a wonderful sight: Vivienne Westwood wall coverings.  The Brit Designer has partnered with the equally reputable Brit company of Cole & Sons to produce a collection based on Dame Viv's iconic style.  Overcome with excitement, I ripped the book from the shelf and dove in.  You may think this sounds over dramatic, but I like what I do, and I'd a bit of a label whore, and I'm an Anglophile.

Westwood is one of my favorite designers (I rank her with genius of La Croix and Gaultier); her wit and eccentricity translates the familiar and historic into the irreverent and sly.  She honors heritage with a wink and a nod and remixes it for a new generation more than happy to dwell on the past.  Her vocabulary of pattern and color as well as her penchant for British iconography translates into the realm of home design flawlessly. 

Vivienne Westwood, resplendent in
cardboard earrings with pen and ink
'jewels'.  The accessories from this
collection inspired the 'Paper Jewels'
pattern of wall covering.

Her collection is above all else graphic; a mix patterns based on men's shirting and hounds tooth, bias plaids (which I j'adore), and delicate jeweled florals.  She gleefully experiments with computer enhanced images, creating patterns that replicate antique lace, an aged Union Jack, and a dynamic wall mural that appears to be made of ruched tartan taffeta.

In a market clotted with safe selections, haggard over used motifs and some just plain ugly things, it's great to see something for the individual with a degree of taste.  If I see one more Fornasetti woman winking or one more Trellage dining room I'm going to climb a bell tower and throw bricks at people.

You won't see Westwood's paper is every home, hotel or restaurant; it's for the person with the most cultivated of tastes, who doesn't rely on the decrees of design dictators to make the decisions for them.  A person who wants to strike out against the masses in a beautiful, poetic way.  It would seem that Viv is selling her own gumption by the roll, readying you for your own fashion revolution.  I'll get the paste and the drop cloth. 

- Ian



Insects was inspired by details found on the wardrobe
of Queen Elizabeth I.



Trompe L'oeil Drape simulates a wall of ruched Tartan.
The pattern is an homage to Westwood's draping technique.
The drapery used is copied from a Tartan wedding dress from
Westwood's Fall/Winter 39/94 Anglomania collection. 



A Westwood gown reinterprets a historic form.



The Squiggle pattern brings to mind decorative braid.
It dates from Westwood's Fall/Winter 81/82 Pirate Collection.

 

Magnolia, Squiggle & Cut-out Lace.

Absense of Rose, Insects, Vivienne's Lace.

Absense of Roses brings to mind Edwardian paper silhouettes.
The addition of gold ink 'studs' add definition and dimension.

Paper Jewels has French appeal, with flowers formed from
jewelers illustrations and pear cut stones acting as dew drops.